₦airaland Forum

FBS: OK,we did what we had to do. Through to the next round.


Torres was on fire. MOTM
Mata still short of match fitness but imo he ran and defended today more than he ever did for the whole of last season . I trust him to get his A-Game on soon.
Willian don madt finish.
Azpi did not impress me.
Essien did a professional job. No wahala.
Mark Schwarzer was decent. Gone are the Turnbull days at least.
KDB was in and out. Needs to play more.
JT, Cahill, Bertrand were solid.
Luiz. wa se re.

Welcome the The JM 2-0s Classics.

The Turnbull days eh?

FBS: 5 milla. You serious. At this rate doubt anyone will pay that. Missing chances like a craze man

This was before those those stoopid moves. His worth just evaporated. Dude just dey play nonsense.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]Seems like Mata has lost his magic touch.

So much for sitting out on the bench.[/color]

This is Mata's first 90 minutes since the season started.

FBS: Luiz get pass.wetin.

Willian!!! yet another wasted chance.

That was just wasteful.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]Having an erratic Essien to protect the back four in a game we need to hold on to our lead?

Aint the best of times for experiments bro.[/color]

I am not even suggesting who should and shouldn't play. Just making a point that if there is a chance that JM might play Luiz in midfield, forced or otherwise, then it makes his criticism of Benitez needless. Hence my statement "already playing Luiz in midfield"

FBS: someone should please tell me we got Willian for free.

Maybe next year but certainly not worth more than £5m at this moment.

FBS: That was some mini-rocket from KDB!

Ruthless shot.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]Ramires Out, you didnt expect him to have JT in a pivot?[/color]

Calm down mate. I am only making a point. Does he have to play 4231? Have u thought of hat?

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]A rookie gaffer on tactics101 would certainly take that decision - He's got no other option.[/color]

Point being that he criticised Benitez for doing so.

Is it too early to ask what happened to KDB?

JM already playing Luiz in midfield.

People like me slag off Ramires for his lack of ball retention skills but you cannot deny he is one of the best finishers in the team in one on one situations.

That was some great play and nice assist from Torres

Ibime: Barcelonas play starts with their central midfield, not Pedro and Alexis. You put Pedro and Alexis with Chelsea central midfield, they will lose badly. Thats the point, the spine of the midfield is key. I have never reduced the argument to simply steel. If steel was my only consideration, I would have no problem with Ramires. But you do need a combination of steel and technique in central midfield. One cannot expect wingers to dictate a midfield. That starts with the no4.

Fair point.

^^ Well said. The same City midfield lost to Cardiff. Many will totally ignore the rate of exchange in-field between City players - heavily influenced by the style of play Pelligrini is teaching. If your players have good movement on and off the ball, intelligent and swift passing, it WILL negate steel and that's a fact. This is why Barcelona will breeze through City and exactly why City have failed to get one over Arsenal in the last few seasons despite the latter being of way less "steel" than the former.


But the season unfolds.

snakova: guy chill it. thats the same way he turned joe cole into a world class winger. just give it sometime.

Hehehe. Joe Cole a world class winger. You better erase that thing before some guys find it.

You cannot criticise your player in public in that manner. It doesn't make any kind of managerial sense. Especially not a back to back player of the year. Adrian Durham of talksport says the reason he doesn't like JM is because of the way he alienates some players to get others on his side.

I always disagreed with Adrian until this Mata issue.

nateevs: Be on your guard fella. Some ninjahs are going to show up in a moment telling you that infact, he was reading from another man's script.

Like clock work.

nitlad: Mourinho goes on record today to say;



This man has re-iterated again that the current crop of players are actually good enough for his plans for Chelsea.

Jose wants us to play expansive football, he is convinced we have the tools for it and reach our target. At no point during the presser did he say we are not balanced. He only said we have to adjust and come out of our default comfort zones to be able to successfully achieve this.

This is not to be achieved by acquiring a "man of steel" to attain/bring balance, but for everybody in the current set up as it is to step up and work hard.

According to Jose, the team as it is, is good enough!

Be on your guard fella. Some ninjahs are going to show up in a moment telling you that infact, he was reading from another man's script.

Afam4eva: Barcelona has one of the worst defense in europe but no one talks about it cos most of the time, they hold on to possession, so the lapses of their defense don't show. But we saw it towards the end of last season when they lost to Bayern Munich. Barcelona is not a balanced team. They have their strength in the midfield and forward and as far as they possess the ball and get results. They don't bother much about the defense. Even their goalkeeper is not even top notch. A team does not need to be equally balanced to succeed. Infact, teams that are balanced are often made up of above average players who always end up getting draws like no man's business. But it takes a team who has their strength in their forward to capitalize on it.

Tell this dude.

El Guapo:
Teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona are regarded as the best in the globe cos they took out time to curb their weaknesses and heighten their strength - Thats balance.

coogar: perfect is balance. balance is stability. you cannot be unbalanced and yet be perfect. this is common sense.

This.

Ibime: So he is now claiming they are balanced and good enough? Hahaha! The first man to criticise Ramires and Lampard every game, first man to tell us in pre-season that Essien is now finished, first man to scream for Luiz to be drafted into midfield. . . . and he wants to tell us he doesn't think they are not good enough?

Mate I am allowed to critcise anybody I choose. I criticise Ramires' ball holding skills but his forward drive is untouchable. This is why I have never said sell Ramires. I ask for David Luiz to come to midfield because I realize, just like many do that his distribution skills and vision, are top notch in midfield.

As a fan, criticism is alright. There will be factions in all teams. Those who favour one player and those who don't. The debates will linger on. So don't take my criticisms of one player's ability/inability as admittance of the general state of team. But I digress.


You tell us. You are the "team is unbalanced" man. You are trying to use me as cover for not dealing with your phuck ups. Lemme post for you again.

Differentiate between steel, balance and good enough. LMAO! You are doing it by yourself. You woke up this morning asking me who said we need steel to beat Basel, I quoted for you, you evaded. Now tell us once and for all, do we need steel to beat Basel?


You told us Jose is happy with 6AMs now you are telling us Jose is reading from another man's script. Did he or did he not, according to you, keep 6AMs because it is crucial to his game plan? Phucking eediot speaking out of both ears. . Oh sorry, Jose is reading from another man's script so Jose's "game plan" must be from another man's scripts.


His cohort is praising him for seeing 2 years ago that the squad is unbalanced. Who wil forget how many articles he has quoted between Wednesday and today about "balance" Ritchie says we have enough bodies in the squad in midfield to be balanced but questions if they are good enough. . . The phucker comes back and says we are all saying the same thing?

What flipping same thing?

A. That the squad is balanced and you have been talking twaddle all along
B. That the squad is not balanced and that you don't agree with Ritchie which means NO WE ARE ALL NOT TALKING THE SAME THING.
C. That the squad is actually balanced but just like you denied that you didn't say we need steel to beat Basel, you want to walk away from this?

Come back and answer.

dayokanu: Bayern of last season is a balanced team. A team that can attack and defend. Bayern of Van Gaal wasnt and I am not too sure of this current season yet

Man Utd of 1999 is a balanced team.

Barcelona is not because they are attack heavy and thin in defence, Same with the Madrid Galacticos

A Balanced team isnt necesarily a perfect team. Just a team that gives equal priority to all aspect of the game

That said, I dont think Chelseas problem currently is balance. Cos they have enough ammunition to attack or defend

What you are explaining is tactical and not necessarily personnel. What the young folk is defending is purely personnel related.

Some folks here will give anything to explain to you that the Chelsea team of 04/05 was a balanced team. That team had Gallas at left back yet they did everything you claim a balanced team does - "equal priority to all aspects of the game" Scoring record number of goals, conceding the fewest number of goals and amassing record number of points.

But I don't see that team in your list as a balanced squad. Why? Because your explanation is tactical. Simple.



So let's start the debate here, at what point did Bayern become balanced.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]Oga If there was any more proof needed that a player can make an enormous difference, then this is surely it.
[/color]

This is the problem with you. You never seem to understand your own argument. This is why A40 asks you sometimes what you are saying. I am not asking you whether a player can add enormous difference. I will repeat if you are having a problem with comprehension.


Tell me how Messi helps Barca achieve balance so much that when he is not playing or subpar, they concede 7 goals.
Secondly, are you telling me that when Bayern played against Chelsea and they had no Martinez until the 56th minute, they had no balance?

Hahahaha. You can't help but laugh at this clown.

Mate, incase I didn't spell it out to you. WORDS OF WISDOM refers to Ritchboy's assertion that those players are enough to balance out the midfield. End of. Nothing more. Ritchboy does not say they are not good enough so how the phuck do you conclude I agree with that. If anything he asks a question.

You are already celebrating. You are a phucking loser. Latching unto every piece of info he gets to score.




Differentiate between steel, balance and good enough. LMAO! You are doing it by yourself. You woke up this morning asking me who said we need steel to beat Basel, I quoted for you, you evaded. Now tell us once and for all, do we need steel to beat Basel?


You told us Jose is happy with 6AMs now you are telling us Jose is reading from another man's script. Did he or did he not, according to you, keep 6AMs because it is crucial to his game plan? Phucking eediot speaking out of both ears. . Oh sorry, Jose is reading from another man's script so Jose's "game plan" must be from another man's scripts.


His cohort is praising him for seeing 2 years ago that the squad is unbalanced. Who wil forget how many articles he has quoted between Wednesday and today about "balance" Ritchie says we have enough bodies in the squad in midfield to be balanced but questions if they are good enough. . . The phucker comes back and says we are all saying the same thing?

What flipping same thing?

A. That the squad is balanced and you have been talking twaddle all along
B. That the squad is not balanced and that you don't agree with Ritchie which means NO WE ARE ALL NOT TALKING THE SAME THING.
C. That the squad is actually balanced but just like you denied that you didn't say we need steel to beat Basel, you want to walk away from this?


Come back and answer.

Tell me about it.



General na me sabi pass: The squad needs balance.

Ritchboy: Mikel/Essien/Ramires/Lampard/MVG is enough bodies in midfield to balance a 25-man squad, the question is 'are they good enough?'. (Words of wisdom by the way)

General na me sabi pass: We are all saying the same thing. Central midfield is not good enough. Period.





Plenty grammar and laughing at themselves. I feel you.

Oh! Now they are balanced but they are not good enough.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]Even if am to counter those words up there line by line, it still wouldnt make a sense to a mate that doesnt believe in such thing as balance.[/color]

You cannot counter the words. You don't worry about my disbelief or yours as the case maybe. If your point is overwhelmingly dominant, it will be clear. I am putting points to you, you are evading them one after another and occupying yourself with my belief.

How can you achieve this balance with the inclusion or deduction of a single player. So much that if that player doesn't play, they concede 7 goals? Yet they are supposed to be balanced.



My friend, cut the crap. Every team has a weakness to be exploited and as long as there is a weakness, that team has not achieved balance. That's why, unapologetically, I firmly express that there is no such thing as a balanced team.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]I'm sure you read many articles and writeups within that time frame, i'm also sure you listened to the views of notable tacticians on the defeat - I'm also sure u had your views.

Bayern has already stroke a balance between defence and attack, they could nullify any team then, and having an astute manager in Jupp was the bigger upgrade. Whilst, Barca had an unfit Messi {The chief brain of their system} and a tactless Tito to think of, we can easily deduce that when two balanced teams meet headon, it would take tactical ingenuity and less casualties to win the day.

I cant believe some folks in 21st Century wouldnt give credence to the 'Balance' theory.[/color]

If there is anything as two balanced teams meeting, the results of the clash will be determined by fine margins. This is what you will expect if both teams have achieve a state of balance. There will be not much to pick between both teams.

As opposed to what you are telling us, Barca conceded 7 goals over the two ties and you telling me it's because of Messi and Tito. Are you saying Barca's balance suddenly evaporates when Messi does not play? Now including a manager in the requirements for squad balance.

What makes your point all the more laughable now is that this is the 2nd time you are expressing balance as the inclusion or deduction of "only one player" from the team. You did the same earlier with Bayern and Martinez. Expressing that Bayern achieve balance with the inclusion of Martinez. What happens when Messi and Martinez don't play?



You are changing your tune now.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]Phuck those thoughts of 'better players'!
How better were Edu, Gilberto, Bergkamp, Lauren, Campbell, Overmars etc over Gallas, Sagna, Fabregas, Flamini of 2010, Wilshere, Hleb, Rosicky, V.Persie etc? What made the difference?
[/color]

I will tell you what made the difference. The bits you conveniently left out. Theirry Henry, Patrick Viera, Martin Keown, Ashley Cole, Kanu. Before them, Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams, Ian Wright just to name a few. That just dents a hole in your argument. Obviously infinitely better players.


I should not take you seriously at all, the moment you begin to put Dennis Bergkamp the great in the same bracket as Rosicky. Very soon you will be asking me what the difference is between Ian Wright and Giroud.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]
Teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona are regarded as the best in the globe cos they took out time to curb their weaknesses and heighten their strength - Thats balance.
[/color]

So what happened when Bayern totally tore Barcelona a new one? Some high profile pundits where explaining the loss as a lack of balance. You here are telling me under a year later that Barca have balance.

El Guapo: [color=#0066ff]No such thing as a balanced squad? Mate u'd probably tell me that there are no such thing as a team spirit.

Bayern would be my sole example in this, the transition periods, the shipouts of old legs that included the notorious cynical Van Buyten, the recruitments and the chase to strike a balance.

I'd post links where Juup, Felix Magath and co stressed the need for a balance to be striked - We might aswell need Dayokanu and A-40's view on this, hence, they're of the Bavarian persuasion.

A balanced team would lose games for sure cos losing is part of the game but they wouldnt lose like a team laid out for experiments in a footie laboratory like Arseanal and Chelsea of late.

Expect my links.[/color]

I don't need your links. You are confusing yourself mate. Mixing up the difference between better players and some "mythical balance". Why do you suppose Pep sold Gustavo and brought in Thiago? To achieve more balance? Heck they are even after Lewandowski, yet you say they are balanced.

Buy the world's best player in every position and you are well on your way to achieving a good team but that's hardly any genius invention. The tactics you then play with the squad you have is what makes you a good team team. You think Pep cannot totally phuck things up at Bayern? What would you be saying then? Suddenly they need more balance?


Bayern may well not lose to Chelsea but hardly because they are balanced and we are not. Ribery is better than anything we have on the wing. So is Robben and more experienced. Those two are enough to blow us away and that is why we park the bus against them. Schweinsteiger is a superior player to Mikel and Ramires. Lahm is better than Ivanovic.

Plus we can go into numerous debates about who is better in other positions.

You can always make an argument of better players. I will take Messi over Schurrle, Ronaldo over Willian, Iniesta over Mata, Thiago Silva over Terry and so on. Where do you stop?



This is why I tell you there is no such thing as a balanced squad. It's a moving target.